Articulated laser arm

A focusing clamp for use at the end of articulated arm structure associated with a laser wherein the laser beam is conducted via the articulated arm structure to the focusing clamp, said focusing clamp comprising:

• a pair of tubular elements which are telescopically engaged, and through which the laser beam is conducted, one of said tubular elements being mounted on the articulated arm structure and the other of said tubular elements being longitudinally shiftable on said one tubular element, a convergent focusing lens on said other tubular element for focusing the laser beam to a point of utilization, two confronting tips on opposite sides of the point of utilization, means for mounting one of said tips on said other tubular element so that the focused laser beam can pass to the point of utilization, means for moveably mounting the other of said tips on said one tubular element to provide for relative movement of said other tip with respect to said one tubular element, and an operating mechanism operatively coupled with said other tubular element and with said means for moveably mounting said other tip on said one tubular element, said operating mechanism comprising means for causing the extension of said other tubular element and hence said one tip from said one tubular element without any accompanying change in the relative position of said other tip with respect to said one tubular element until a predetermined resistance is encountered, said operating mechanism thereafter being effective to cause said other tip to move toward said one tip.

Apparatus for directing a laser beam from a stationary laser to a movable point of utilization comprising an articulated arm structure forming an enclosed path through which the laser beam is conducted, said articulated arm structure comprising first and second linear conduits forming segments of said path, a first pivot joint for pivoting said first conduit on one part of said apparatus about a first axis, a second pivot joint between said first conduit and said second conduit spaced lengthwise of said first conduit from said first pivot joint, said second pivot joint pivoting said second conduit relative to said first conduit about a second axis spaced from said first axis, a third pivot joint between said second conduit and another part of said apparatus spaced lengthwise of said second conduit from said second pivot joint, said third joint pivoting said another part of said apparatus relative to said second conduit about a third axis spaced from said first and second axes, mirrors at said three pivot joints arranged to cause a laser beam entering said first pivot joint from said one part of said apparatus to be conducted on through said first conduit, said second pivot joint, said second conduit, and said third pivot joint to said another part of said apparatus, said three pivot joints being so arranged that a common plane passes through said three pivot joints for all positions of articulation, and in which said another part of said apparatus comprises further articulated arm structure through which the laser beam is conducted, said another part of said apparatus terminating in utilization means constituting the utilization point of the laser beam, and further including a robot having multiple degrees of freedom and means operatively coupling said utilization means with said robot, said robot being operable to selectively position said utilization means over said degrees of freedom with said articulated arm structures conforming to the motion imparted to said utilization means by said robot, and said further articulated arm structure comprises two further pivot joints and conduits, the first further pivot joint having an axis intersecting said third axis, the second further pivot joint having an axis intersecting the axis of said first further pivot joint, and mirrors associated with said further pivot joints and conduits for conducting the laser beam from said third pivot joint through said further conduits to said utilization means, and in which said utilization means comprises a focusing clamp mechanism.

For use in an articulated arm structure forming an enclosed path through which a laser beam is conducted, a joint comprising a main body having a bore defined by a longitudinal bore segment and a transverse bore segment disposed at an intersecting angle to said longitudinal bore segment, a mirror having its reflecting surface disposed at the intersection of said longitudinal and transverse bore segments to reflect a laser beam entering the joint via one of said bore segments along the other of said bore segments, a rotary coupling member having a bore coaxially disposed with respect to said longitudinal bore segment, means for journaling said rotary coupling member on said main body for relative rotation with respect to said longitudinal bore segment about their coaxis, said rotary coupling member having connecting structure of a given configuration adapted for mating connection with structure of complementary configuration, and said main body having connecting structure of said complementary configuration at said transverse bore segment adapted for mating connection with structure of said given configuration, in which said mirror is disposed within an open center frame separably mounted on said main body and including an adjustable shim mechanism between said frame and said main body for precisely adjusting the relationship of said reflecting surface to said longitudinal and transverse bore segments, and said mirror is replaceably mounted on said frame by a coolant distributor assembly disposed within the open center of said frame to exert a force on said mirror urging said mirror against an inwardly directed flange extending around the open center of said frame.

For use in an articulated arm structure forming an enclosed path through which a laser beam is conducted, a joint comprising a main body having a bore defined by a longitudinal bore segment and a transverse bore segment disposed at an intersecting angle to said longitudinal bore segment, a mirror having its reflecting surface disposed at the intersection of said longitudinal and transverse bore segments to reflect a laser beam entering the joint via one of said bore segments along the other of said bore segments, a rotary coupling member having a bore coaxially disposed with respect to said longitudinal bore segment, means for journaling said rotary coupling member on said main body for relative rotation with respect to said longitudinal bore segment about their coaxis, said rotary coupling member having connecting structure of a given configuration adapted for mating connection with structure of complementary configuration, and said main body having connecting structure of said complementary configuration at said transverse bore segment adapted for mating connection with structure of said given configuration, and in which said mirror is disposed within an open center frame separably mounted on said main body and including an adjustable shim mechanism between said frame and said main body for precisely adjusting the relationship of said reflecting surface to said longitudinal and transverse bore segments, said mirror is replaceably mounted on said frame by a coolant distributor assembly disposed within the open center of said frame to exert a force on said mirror urgining said mirror against an inwardly directed flange extending around the open center of said frame, and said adjustable shim mechanism comprises an annular shim member extending around said frame and disposed between said main body and said frame and having spaced apart points of shimming, said points of shimming comprising means operable in the radial direction relative to said annular shim member for affecting shimming between said frame and said main body.

For use in an articulated arm structure for conducting a laser beam to a point of utilization movable relative to a laser, a joint comprising a main body having a bore defined by a longitudinal bore segment and a transverse bore segment whose axes intersect at a common point, an opening through said main body to the intersection of said bore segments and a mirror assembly disposed at said opening with its axis intersecting said common point, said mirror assembly comprising a mirror having a face surface and an obverse surface with said face surface being a reflecting surface which is disposed at said common point and serves to reflect an incident laser beam along the axis of one of said bore segments along the axis of the other of said bore segments, said mirror assembly comprising an open center frame having an inwardly directed flange said mirror being disposed within the open center of said frame with a marginal portion of said mirror against said flange, and a coolant distributor assembly disposed within the open center of said frame against said mirror and means for removably retaining said distributor assembly within the open center of said frame to in turn retain said mirror against said flange, said coolant distributor assembly comprising a wall disposed in surface-to-surface contact against the obverse surface of said mirror and means for causing coolant to flow across said wall internally of the distributor assembly to thereby promote cooling of the mirror by heat transfer through said wall, and in which said coolant distributor assembly is removably retained within the open center of said frame by means of retention structure attached to said frame and including resilient means disposed between said retention structure and said coolant distributor assembly exerting a force on said coolant distributor assembly which in turn urges said mirror against said flange.